Elaine and I drove our rented VW Bora 165 km from Jiamusi to Elaine’s parents’ home in Dawucun. I collapsed on the bed and slept 15 hours.

Mon. 10 Aug. 2015
Dawucun

I accompanied Elaine as she renewed old acquaintances and spent time with her parents, two sisters, and their children.

Tues. 11 Aug. 2015
Dawucun

Elaine and I went birding with Elaine’s 14-year-old niece, Jennifer. We noted 10 species before rain forced us to hurry back. Elaine and I found our first Chinese Grey Shrike of this summer’s trip. One of the shrikes was not afraid of us and allowed us to view it from a position directly under the utility wire on which it was perching. Jennifer had never been so close to a wild bird. Red-rumped Swallow and Barn Swallow were seen in about equal numbers in the village; in the corn fields, as the sun was going down, we saw a large flock that was entirely Barn. We were happy to see several species using the corn fields, among them a snipe and a pair of Black-faced Bunting. Daurian Redstart and Grey-capped Greenfinch are regular visitors to Elaine’s parents’ vegetable garden behind their house.

Today, our four-person team found a pair of Eurasian Eagle-Owl. We had gone birding with Elaine’s nieces, Jennifer Jiang, 14, and Lisa Li, 9. Walking into a quarry on a mountainside, I found the owls on the cliff. What an exciting introduction to birding for the girls!

Earlier in the day, just before lunch at Elaine’s parents’ house, Elaine called me into the back garden. She pointed into the tall birch: Daurian Starling. A lifer for both of us. We noted 12 species in all today.

Today at the quarry we found the pair of Eurasian Eagle-Owl. The owls were perching together at the edge of the forest at the top of the quarry. We viewed them awhile, walked up the valley for some forest birding, then returned. On the second visit, only one of the owls was on the perch. I climbed up to a point about 30 m from the owl. It assumed a defensive posture but quickly returned to its dozing and grooming. While the owl was in defensive posture, I got exciting photographs.

The photo of the owl was the best I’ve taken on our Amur Basin 2015 trip. Making the photo even more meaningful is that I got it near my wife’s home in the same year in which she and I got married. Birding usually means being far away from one’s family; how good it is to see great birdsand be near one’s family.

Elaine, her nieces Jennifer Jiang and Lisa Li, and I took a long walk through the mountains S of Dawucun and Boli. The highlight was observing a juvenile Northern Goshawk for four minutes. We found adult and juvenile Pale Thrush around the ridgeline. 1 of our 2 Eastern Crowned Warbler was singing. The girls and I enjoyed close-up views of White-backed Woodpecker.

Our team drove our rented VW Bora from Dawucun through Boli and onto the dirt road past the crematorium. We drove through the quarry area and parked in front of the farm deep in the woods. We walked a trail wide enough for automobiles, passing graves en route. The road follows a stream and degrades progressively as one walks up the valley. In a quiet area along the road, which was now a footpath, a bird wave was passing through. The most conspicuous bird was the unseen but loudly singing Eastern Crowned Warbler. The obligatory Willow Tit and Japanese Tit were present, as was Chestnut-flanked White-eye. Yellow-throated Bunting were pulled out of the thick vegetation by playback, to which they responded with alacrity. No adult males were present, only juveniles and females.

The footpath led to some final grave sites, and was no more. We retraced our steps to the place where the track was drivable again. We crossed the stream and hiked up a side valley. I led the team cross-country toward a ridgeline. I played a Willow Tit recording and attracted the attention of the goshawk. It flew into the forest and perched nearby. Peering through the tangle of leaves and branches with my binoculars, I was able to get an arresting view of the stocky Accipiter. Elaine and Jennifer took turns with Elaine’s binoculars. This bird had the vertical streaking on the upper breast characteristic of a juvenile. The white eyebrow was obvious. The deep chest grabbed our attention; I said to Elaine, “This is the linebacker of Accipters,” an American football reference that Elaine didn’t get. I explained to her that if the Accipters were football players, then Northern Goshawk would play the position requiring both bulk and speed, for it is a giant among the hawks.

Without a trail to guide us, we carefully followed the ridgeline a few hundred meters, draping leafy twigs over the branches to mark our way. We reached a kind of peak, and there we found a faint footpath. This footpath led across the ridgeline, elev. about 500 m. Here, the forest is open; undergrowth is very thin. Grass is abundant in some of the more open areas. The forest is entirely secondary. The predominant tree is oak, with Chinese Red Birch Betula albosinensis having a strong presence, and conifers appearing here and there. Mushrooms and butterflies are plentiful, and Jennifer made a pet of a snail. The ridgeline is drier and breezier than the darker, wetter valleys below; here, one could sit for minutes at a time without a single mosquito arriving.

Birds on the ridge were few. We found a pair of juvenile Pale Thrush, and later, I happened upon a pair of adults. They quickly flew off and were not responsive to playback. We took the presence of juveniles as evidence that Pale Thrush breeds in the area. While eating lunch, we played a Pale Thrush recording with woodpecker sounds in the background. This caught the attention of a male White-backed Woodpecker, which perched on the tree right above us.

The ridge is quiet and little visited. Although Elaine said mushroom pickers occasionally visit the mountains, I saw little evidence of human activity. There was some litter along the trail, but the few discarded plastic bottles we saw looked as though they’d been lying there at least a year. The trail probably hadn’t seen a visitor in weeks.

Though the forest is open, the trees are tall, the canopy is solid, and it’s hard to see out. At one point, one can peer at Boli and Dawucun in the distance. We enjoyed the good view and made our way back down to the car.

At night, as Elaine and I were about to go to sleep, we heard hooting in the distance. I walked out, and, under a cloudless sky and with the Milky Way visible and shooting stars streaming in, a Eurasian Eagle-Owl landed on the roof of one of my father-in-law’s sheds. It hooted a few times and flew off. Its partner was calling nearby. These must be the same eagle-owls that we have been finding at the quarry.

We noted 14 species today, 12 on the mountain.

Weather: Nearly cloudless in morning, a bit cloudier in afternoon. Brilliant blue sky. Very little wind, even on the ridge. 27°C.

Elaine and I walked 8.5 km through the nearby mountains. We noted 17 species. Grey-backed Thrush was a new record for Elaine’s Hometown List, as were Great Spotted Woodpecker, Asian Brown Flycatcher, and Grey Wagtail. Eastern Crowned Warbler were singing once again, and Northern Goshawk made another, briefer appearance. We found a single Eurasian Red Squirrel.

Grey-backed Thrush was a hard-won record. Walking up a lushly vegetated side valley, I saw the thrush pop out and fly toward the trees. I had just enough time to view the lack of white tips to the outer tail feathers, indicative of Pale Thrush. The Grey-backed rested on a branch just long enough for me to focus on its streaked upper breast and orange flanks.

The ultra-shy Grey-backed Thrush was a good example of forest birding in late summer in this part of the world. Few birds are singing. Most are biding their time, waiting for the big journey south. Rather than shrink from the challenges of August birding, Elaine and I embraced them. Our motto is, “The birds are still here; we just have to work harder to find them!”

It was interesting to stand quietly and just make out the “tzee” contact call of Pale Thrush, turn our binoculars toward the source of the sound, and finally see our bird high in the canopy. Eight weeks ago, at the height of breeding season, locating singing Pale Thrush would have required much less effort, but possibly been less rewarding.

Eurasian Red Squirrel was my first view of that species since I left the Netherlands in 2007. Our individual had the untufted ears characteristic of the species in summer. The squirrel had an acorn in its mouth and was moving up and down a shaggily barked Chinese Red Birch.

Elaine and I continued our survey of the forest S of her home. Our 10-km walk netted us 23 species, 3 of which (Black Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, and White-throated Rock Thrush) were new to Elaine’s Hometown List. Long-tailed Tit, so common around Dawucun during our winter trip, had eluded us on the summer trip, until today. In the cool morning with a nip of autumn in the air, Eastern Crowned Warbler were singing and defending territory as though it were spring (04:15; 11 MB):

Our day began at 05:00 at the quarry, where we checked on the local pair of Eurasian Eagle-Owl. Near the farm past the quarry, we got caught in our first bird wave of the morning. Unlike the other bird waves we have been witnessing around here, the main component of this wave was not Willow Tit or Chestnut-flanked White-eye but Long-tailed Tit. The vigorous singing of Eastern Crowned Warbler led Elaine and me into a discussion of why birds would invest their energy in defending territories that they’ll soon be abandoning.

We walked up the side valley to the ridge and the faint trail. We stopped at our favorite spot, a broad, grassy area at an elevation of about 520 m. During our 30-minute rest on the windy ridge, we saw exactly one bird, but it was a good one: Black Woodpecker. Following its nose, a Eurasian Red Squirrel darted straight at us as we ate our bananas and bread. It thought better of it, and scurried away.

We continued S along the ridgeline, then dropped into the next valley. Here the air was still, the mosquitoes were buzzing, and birds were again abundant. A female White-throated Rock Thrush was scolding me with unusual strength. I soon saw why: a fledgling was on the ground, calling weakly. So young was it that it could take only short flights. The fledgling we saw has only a few weeks to gain enough strength to make the migration to south China and Southeast Asia. We found our Yellow-rumped Flycatcher just a short ways down that very birdy trail.

We doubled back to the ridgeline and continued S. We stopped in the middle of the small range, at an elevation of about 540 m. There, we had an unusual sight: a single silver birch, the only silver birch we’ve seen anywhere around here, its white bark gleaming incongruously among the sea of oaks.

Weather: Cool and overcast, with a nip of autumn in the air. 17°-26°C.

Elaine and I visited Xidaquan National Forest, an impressive reserve just 21 km from Dawucun. Among our 36 species were Marsh Tit (new to Elaine’s Hometown List) and Asian Stubtail and Blue-and-white Flycatcher (new to our NE China list). We found Radde’s Warbler with food in its bill, and in a deep part of the forest I found Siberian Thrush.

I heard the Marsh Tit among a party of Japanese Tit and Willow Tit bathing in a ditch. Among the familiar sounds being made by Japanese and Willow was a nasal call slightly different from what I’ve become used to from Willow. Studying the tits through my binoculars, I saw a tighter, neater black bib, a daintier head, and no wing panel on the tertials. Yes! I was filled with pleasure, for we had reached a level of knowledge that made separating Marsh from Willow easy and fun.

We found Radde’s on the long road leading deep into the park. It was not singing but the food in its bill suggested it had young somewhere. The Asian Stubtail was nearby. Pallas’s Leaf Warbler and Yellow-browed Warber were silent. A month ago in Hulunbeier, we regularly noted Pallas’s and Radde’s singing. Eastern Crowned Warbler were singing.

Earlier, at a reservoir named Jiulong Shuiku just outside Boli, we noted birds of prey (Eastern Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby) and water birds such as Mandarin Duck.

We added Blue-and-white Flycatcher on the road leading from Jiulong Shuiku to Xidaquan. Most of that road is birdable, especially the parts closest to the park. The entire area offers very high-quality woodland birding. It should be hopping with activity come spring.

After dark, the hoot of Eurasian Eagle-Owl resounded through the little village of Dawucun.

Xidaquan lies at the northern rim of the Laoye Mountains (Lǎoye Lǐng [老爷岭]), a northern offshot of the Changbai Mountains (Chángbái Shān [长白山]). The highest peak in the park is at elevation 1008 m. The park covers 9200 hectares. Admission cost us 20 yuan per person, and there were no restrictions on where we could go. Paved roads and easily drivable dirt tracks allowed us to drive deep into the park in our passenger car, a VW Bora.

Elaine and I noted 40 species in and around Xidaquan National Forest. Highlight was finding a soaking wet Long-eared Owl that was indifferent to us and groomed itself as we looked on below. Of the leaf warblers, only Eastern Crowned Warbler is still singing. Radde’s Warbler approaches upon hearing playback but does not sing. To gauge the abundance of Eurasian Nuthatch in the forest, we made five random stops and played back a recording of Sitta europaea amurensis. Four times, nuthatches arrived, the fastest response being 5 seconds.

Xidaquan and environs are really impressive–the best forest birding we’ve found on this entire trip. I was entirely ignorant of this place until recently. Elaine had mentioned it, but I did no research. We’re just 25 km from Elaine’s home, so I’m sure I’ll be visiting this place again and again.

The forest here is northern-temperate, mixed broadleaf-coniferous. In the primary forest, some conifers reach a height of at least 30 m. Some secondary forest has large trees. I don’t know the conifer species but it certainly isn’t the larch we were seeing in the Greater Khingan Range in July. Among the broadleaf trees, in some places silver birch predominates. In others, other birches predominate.

The habitat is similar to what we were seeing in Mudanfeng in late July. That is to be expected, because we are not far from Mudanfeng, and both Mudanfeng and Xidaquan lie in those minor ranges associated with the Changbai Mountains, whose northern reaches extend into Heilongjiang.

It is superb forest habitat, virtually unknown. We asked the women at the gate today about the type of visitors they get here. The women said visitors are few, birders nil, foreigners virtually nil, out-of-town Chinese few, local people some. With 9200 ha. here (35 sq. mi.), this is a very good place to study NE China forest birds.

Before a powerful thunderstorm swept through, forcing us into the car for two hours, I had a China first for me: Coal Tit ssp. ater (nominate ssp. lacking crest, same as in Western Europe).

Another impressive sight was ca. 2000 swallows (Red-rumped Swallow ca. 1200, Barn Swallow ca. 800) on wires in the village in the park.

We looked for White-winged Crossbill, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, and Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, all of which will be lifers for me. We still haven’t found those birds.

Elaine and I noted 33 species. Forecasts called for thunderstorms and showers throughout the day, and those forecasts proved true; we birded anyway, because we knew that in wet weather we would be more likely to see an owl. Our hunch proved correct with Ural Owl. We finally noted Eurasian Treecreeper at Xidaquan, and we were surprised to hear a singing Dusky Warbler. Ashy Minivet had a notable presence in a large bird wave, led as usual by Long-tailed Tit and Chestnut-flanked White-eye. Another smaller wave in a grove of pines looked like something out of Europe, with the treecreeper being joined by Coal Tit and Black Woodpecker. An Asian Badger crossed the road far away from us; I was able to note its long body and short legs.

When we arrived at the forest park around 06:00, rain was falling so hard that even the ca. 2000 Red-rumped Swallow and Barn Swallow were absent from the wires above the village. (They reappeared later.) A Japanese Sparrowhawk was on a utility wire, waiting out the storm.

The Ural Owl flew across the road near Silver Birch Grove (Báihuà Lín [白桦林]). We had just enough time to ID the owl before it disappeared into the forest.

The rain came and went throughout the day. We car-birded all day and rested in the VW Bora during the harder showers.

During a break in the rain, as Elaine and I were standing by the lake in the middle of the village, some park staffers talked with us. In return for free admission to the park from now on, Elaine and I are going to give the managers Elaine’s Hometown List (which of course includes nearby Xidaquan). With no birders having visited the park, even the managers aren’t sure what birds exist there. Here’s the list:

After three days of almost non-stop rain, Elaine and I drove to Hengmei Gardens for a walk. We deepened our appreciation of the differences between Willow Tit and Marsh Tit by closely studying a mixed flock of Willow, Japanese Tit, and Eurasian Nuthatch. The tits before us clearly were Willow. They appeared “stronger” than Marsh, being bigger headed and more bull-necked. They showed a noticeable pale wing panel on the secondaries and tertials, and their nasal call was deeper and more resonant than the nasal call of Marsh. (The deeper sound may be the result of the bigger head and neck.) A Thick-billed Warbler paid the tit party a visit.

Elaine and I noted 43 species in and around Xidaquan. The forest park continued to prove its worth as a storehouse for NE China birds. Among the species newly seen at Xidaquan today were Hazel Grouse and Arctic Warbler. Owls once again had an impressive showing, with Eurasian Eagle-Owl being noted at two places and Long-eared Owl perching in the open on the Z003 road.

Though the leaves on the trees are thick and green, the nights are growing longer, the days cooler; summer is steadily giving way to autumn. Today, we watched migratory birds disengage from their breeding territories. Dusky Warbler, Radde’s Warbler, and Asian Stubtail were still most likely on their breeding grounds, but Dusky and Radde’s were singing only intermittently, and Asian Stubtail was not singing at all. Though not singing, these species were nonetheless vocal, each offering its “click” call. After being surprised by the strong song of Eastern Crowned Warbler deep into August, we noted a silent Eastern Crowned today. Pallas’s Leaf Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler have been silent throughout August here in the Boli-Dawucun-Xidaquan area. The Arctic Warbler we saw today was silent.

The pair of Eurasian Eagle-Owl were heard outside the window of my parents-in-law’s home at 01:30. Another single was noted at a quarry inside Xidaquan at about 12:30. The single was perching on the ground, and, wet from the rain, was initially mistaken by me for a tree stump.

Earlier, while Elaine rested in the car, I followed a bird wave down the road. Xidaquan is little visited, especially on a Monday, and I had the entire forest to myself. As I was watching some leaf warblers, a smart male Hazel Grouse crept onto the road just 25 m away. I’ve seen this species many times these past several weeks, but always from a car; what a joy it was to appreciate this fellow for two full minutes, just he and I, standing alone in that quiet northern forest.

Weather: Cool and wet. Short shower at midday, then clearing. 12°-23°C.

Today Elaine and I made our fifth visit in nine days to this excellent forest park. With summer clearly winding down, Elaine and I noted 33 species. We added Black Kite and kept pace for an hour with a large mixed flock, in which Chestnut-flanked White-eye, usually such a major presence, was absent. After surprising us with by singing its powerful song deep into August, today Eastern Crowned Warbler was unheard and unrecorded. Dusky Warbler was singing on what probably was its breeding territory and, within the bird wave I shadowed, Pallas’s Leaf Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler were singing intermittently.

Earlier, Elaine and I climbed up the recreation trail. We enjoyed wide views of the forested mountains. We watched Oriental Dollarbird soar over the mountains. The view was impressive and reminded me that Xidaquan National Forest contains a sizable remnant of the vast northern temperate forest that once covered most of this region.

Today is Ghost Festival or Guǐ Jié (鬼节). Following the old tradition, we shàngfén (上坟); we visited the grave of Elaine’s father’s father, whose ashes are buried on the hill near the quarry. Other villagers were on the hillside paying their respects to their ancestors. Elaine’s father burned paper “money,” which according to tradition ensures that Grandfather has enough money to spend in heaven, and he left a few slices of watermelon and a baozi, again to ensure that Grandfather has enough to eat in the afterworld. Other villagers set off firecrackers. Willow Tit were flitting about, and we saw Eurasian Jay.

Later, Father, Elaine’s big sister, Jennifer, Elaine, and I went to collect mushrooms in the hills south of the village. Birds were almost none. Chestnut-flanked White-eye were seen in the trees above.

Amid what some of the locals are calling the rainiest weather they have seen in years, Elaine and I rested at her parents’ home. During a break in the rain, I pulled out my Swarovski ATX-95 and from the back porch scanned the quarry, more than 1600 m away. I found a single Eurasian Eagle-Owl. Elaine and Elaine’s niece Jennifer were able to make out the owl.

Rain grounded us once again all day. A Common Kestrel was perching on the tall tree in my parents-in-law’s back garden. A juvenile Grey Wagtail crept into a little shed my father-in-law uses to store cornstalks. I looked for the Eurasian Eagle-Owls with the spotting scope but couldn’t find them.

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 1

Sat. 29 Aug. 2015
Xidaquan National Forest

We noted 48 species at Xidaquan and around Dawucun. We got a good look at a juvenile Northern Goshawk, and Eurasian Eagle-Owl once again enchanted us. Chestnut-flanked White-eye is no longer a major component of bird waves, but Radde’s Warbler remains on its breeding territories. Many other summer visitors to this region are still here, among them Oriental Dollarbird, Ashy Minivet, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, and Asian Brown Flycatcher. At Dawucun, we found juvenile Barn Swallow on the nest.

Elaine and I took Elaine’s 14-year-old niece, Jennifer Jiang, to Xidaquan. This was Elaine’s and my sixth trip to the forest park in 13 days. Driving on the Z003 leading to the main gate, we startled Hazel Grouse. A Siberian Weasel had a chunk of fur missing from the base of its tail and appeared weak.

We found Dusky Warbler near the lake in its accustomed scrubby place. Near the Millennium Tree (Qiānnián Gǔshù [千年古树]), we heard Hazel Grouse at the same place where I saw a male earlier this week. I searched for Asian Stubtail but didn’t find it. We drove the dirt road 5 km to Silver Birch Grove and saw little. Rain fell, hard.

Back at Dawucun, Elaine and I found Chinese Grey Shrike. This shrike is almost certainly the same individual we have been noting regularly on the same set of utility wires outside the village. The shrike is completely at home there and takes no notice of the noisy tractors passing under it.

At Elaine’s parents’ house at 21:30, we heard three Eurasian Eagle-Owl, two calling from the village and another faintly heard outside the village. One of the eagle-owls perched atop a utility pole on my parents-in-law’s street. Father, Elaine, and I admired the silhouette of the imposing, dog-sized owl. Although these owls visit Dawucun nearly every night, we never tire of watching them.

Weather: Rain off and on throughout day. Sun never penetrated clouds. 14°-19°C.

Elaine and I noted 49 species during our seventh trip to Xidaquan. Highlight was finding Asian Stubtail in a bird wave. Amid the frenzy, the stubtail, as if wanting to restore order, stood on a branch higher than I am tall and emitted its insect-like call at the top of its lungs. The bird showed well, allowing us to view its dark eye-stripe and nub of a tail.

Among our other highlights were our first Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Cuculus cuckoo at Xidaquan. The sparrowhawk was a splendid male that fascinated us with his unsuccessful attempts to catch Barn Swallow over the lake in the village. A 1st-yr. male Siberian Thrush was silently eating berries. Another member of the stubtail wave was a light-green, single-barred Two-barred Warbler that even offered us snatches of song. A Pallas’s Leaf Warbler was heard singing in another mixed flock that included Eurasian Treecreeper.

Radde’s Warbler, until recently found singly or in pairs, was found today in an unusual mixed flock that included 8 Radde’s and 4 Japanese Tit. The sighting occurred in the afternoon at ideal Radde’s habitat: lush roadside undergrowth, the area of undergrowth being broader because of a bend in the road. Elaine and I theorized that at least some of the local breeding Radde’s have left their territories, but not the area, and are massing in places where the feeding is good. In the morning along the Z003, we noted another group of Radde’s in a single area.

Earlier, at Jiulong Shuiku, on our 14th scan of the cliff quarried out of the mountain, Elaine’s and my hunch was finally proved right: a Eurasian Eagle-Owlis using the cliff-face as a roost! The quarry at Jiulong Shuiku became the third where we have seen Eurasian Eagle-Owl in the Boli area. The owl was found at 06:30 and was still there when we returned in the afternoon.

Like a stern father, Xidaquan Forest grants rewards, but only if you put in the work. Our list for Xidaquan-Boli grows, slowly, steadily. On Tues. 1 Sept., we reached the psychologically important threshold of 88 with Siberian Rubythroat. With Wednesday’s Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, Elaine and I have now noted 89 species in her hometown in 2015. Other highlights from this bird-rich area of SE Heilongjiang: Arctic Warbler amid mixed flock that included still-territorial Radde’s Warbler, the most conspicuous leaf warbler now (43 noted Tuesday and Wednesday); also Thick-billed Warbler and residents such as Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Spotted Nutcracker, and Long-tailed Rosefinch. Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker is the only Picoides found outside the Americas and is a scarce resident of NE China. We found it chiseling silently into dead softwood. Discovering the woodpecker was a complete stroke of luck. I stopped the VW Bora at a random spot on the forest road, looked into the forest, and saw the woodpecker chiseling. The forest here is still green and leafy, but some trees are showing a hint of fall color.

Elaine and I went to the hills behind her home to collect Honey Mushroom Armillaria mellea. We walked together to the ridge, where we startled Hazel Grouse. Elaine and I split up, keeping in contact through walkie-talkie. While Elaine collected about 5 kg of the delicious fungus, I found only our second NE China record of Blue-and-white Flycatcher. I heard what sounded like a woodpecker drumming slowly. I walked toward the sound and found Eurasian Red Squirrel. The squirrel’s grunts sounded uncannily like the collision of a woodpecker’s bill and wood. Near the forest reservoir I found Eastern Crowned Warbler. The bird responded silently but with much interest to playback. The recording I used was made by me on 16 Aug. just a few km from the point where I was standing. On that date, not even three weeks ago, the Eastern Crowned Warbler’s response to playback was aggressive, and it sang loudly. What a contrast to the subdued response today.

At 20:30, the skies were nearly perfectly clear, and from the back porch Elaine, Father, and I viewed the Milky Way. Eurasian Eagle-Owl was near, making its strong, deliberate, “Hoo!”

Today, sitting alone in the hills behind Dawucun, I posted the following message to our WeChat group Shanghai Birding:

“WISH-YOU-WERE-HERE MOMENT: If crisp fall weather could be bottled up and sold, then today would be the day to harvest it. Brilliant blue sky, cool qiufeng (秋风, ‘autumn breeze’), temp. about 17°C. Speaking of harvests, Elaine and her father are nearby picking Honey Mushroom Armillaria mellea. Elaine just radioed me; she and baba found a mother lode and expect to collect about 8 kg of the tasty fungus. I just now was writing almost literally in the shadow of a White-backed Woodpecker, the largest pied woodpecker and a very inquisitive creature, curious even about the weak playback coming from my iPhone speaker. Before settling down, I startled a Hazel Grouse and heard the laughter of Black Woodpecker. A Pale Thrush gave itself away with its tzzt contact call, then viewed me from a high branch before darting off. I miss Shanghai and look forward to birding with you all again after I’m back next week. Thank you for waiting me out while I drank my fill of these northern forests. It’s been one of my sweetest China experiences, doing great birding by day and being welcomed by Elaine’s warmhearted family at night. Birding and family! Life doesn’t get much better than this.”

Integrating family and birding, Elaine and I went to Xidaquan with Elaine’s father, her older sister Lian Ying, Lian Ying’s daughter Lisa, and Elaine’s niece Jennifer. The main point was not birding but to walk the recreational trail. The highlight was seeing Hazel Grouse slowly cross the road just outside the main gate. Everyone in the car saw the bird. Another special moment: a Eurasian Red Squirrel slowly crossing the road, again in full view of all of us. I taught the kids how to pick up discarded bottles and toss them in the garbage can. The cool temperatures and brilliant sunshine put everyone in a good mood.

At 20:30 back at Dawucun we heard Eurasian Eagle-Owl. The owl was perching on one of the trees at the S end of my parents-in-law’s property. Through the binoculars I saw the silhouette of the big, powerful owl. I made this recording (01:16; 3.8 MB):

Elaine and I wrapped up our Summer 2015 NE China Birding Trip with our 11th and 12th trips to Xidaquan and a walk in the hills behind Dawucun. With new additions Goldcrest and Eurasian Siskin at Xidaquan and Grey-headed Woodpecker at Dawucun, Elaine’s Hometown List stands at 91 species.

Elaine and I noted 40 species on Sun. 6 Sept at Xidaquan. We had 8 Hazel Grouse, and we once again found Asian Stubtail. No fewer than four species of leaf warbler were singing: Radde’s Warbler, Pallas’s Leaf Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, and Two-barred Warbler. With 19 individuals noted, Radde’s maintained its high numbers. Eurasian Sparrowhawk was again viewed trying without success to take down swallows (this time predominantly Red-rumped Swallow). At Jiulong Shuiku we filmed Eastern Buzzard devouring a Siberian Chipmunk.

Getting the Goldcrest involved a good piece of birding from the ever-more experienced Elaine. Even though Goldcrest is an easy bird to ID, the first mixed flock was in trees up to 30 m high, and I missed the bird. Elaine, however, spied a single Goldcrest and excitedly reported the news. Elaine’s good eye put Goldcrest on my mind, and sure enough I found 2 individuals an hour later in another mixed flock.

On Mon. 7 Sept., we added Striped Field Mouse to our mammal list. The next day we found Korean Field Mouse at Elaine’s parents’ home.

On Tues. 8 Sept., we made our 12th trip in 23 days to Xidaquan. Yellow-browed Warbler were passing through in a big way, with 32 noted.

On 7 Sept. we made two recordings of Grey-headed Woodpecker in the hills behind Dawucun:

Featured image: Eurasian Eagle-Owl is the biggest owl in the world. A pair lives in a quarry near Elaine Du’s home village of Dawucun, Boli, Heilongjiang. 13 Aug. 2015, Nikon D3S, 600 mm, F/5, 1/250, ISO 2000.